....Despite being renowned for the ice-cold persona that he displays in Murray’s box, his dry sense of humour is evident. It is easy to see how he and the often-sarcastic Murray have developed the perfect coach-player relationship. ‘We both have a similar sense of humour and enjoy a good laugh,’ says Lendl. ‘You have to find a mix but I think it works pretty well. ‘We do our stuff together and then usually Kim [Sears, Murray’s girlfriend] is around so he goes and spends time with Kim, goes out to dinner and I go out on the golf course.’

Lendl has clearly found the winning coaching formula as he has helped Murray to win gold at the London 2012 Olympics, his first Grand Slam at the 2012 US Open and then end a 77-year wait for a British men’s singles champion at Wimbledon last year. I ask Lendl what his favourite of the three was. ‘Obviously winning the Olympics was great for Andy, same thing with the US Open, but I enjoyed watching Wimbledon most because I know how much he wanted to win it,’ says Lendl. ‘He had the disappointment of the year before where he was very close [against Roger Federer]. Maybe a couple of points in the second set could have gone a different way. It didn't. ‘He was able to come back and win it a year later. It was very satisfying to see him that happy.’

But as they warmed up on a practice court at the All England Club on the morning of the final, just what did Lendl say to Murray ahead of a match in which there would be pressure of untold proportions? ‘I was talking nonsense to get him out of being nervous,’ admits Lendl. ‘I did that on purpose.’

With three and a half months to go before Murray begins the defence of his title at SW19, the Scot is patiently trying to rediscover his best form after his back surgery last September. Murray may not have reached the final in any of the four tournaments he has played so far this year but Lendl is happy with his progress so far.

‘You have to get confidence in your body and you have to get confidence in your game after a break like that,’ says Lendl. ‘Dani [Vallverdu, Murray’s assistant coach] told me that the match he lost in Acapulco [to Grigor Dimitrov] was the best match he played this year, so I am pretty pleased with that. ‘It's important to get full confidence in his body, full confidence in his strokes and his ability and then we worry about the rest.’

While Murray has much still to achieve, you wonder if Lendl would be content to coach the British No 1 for the rest of his days or if he will perhaps eventually seek a fresh challenge with another player? ‘A lot of times things change in people's lives so it's better to take it one season at a time,’ he intriguingly says, typically giving little else away as he shakes my hand and gingerly wanders off.

Maria Sharapova says men's Grand Slam matches should echo the women's game and be played over three sets.

The Russian, 26, told BBC Sport it would not only make the men's game more appealing, but could lengthen careers.

"It would be more exciting from the beginning of the match because you know that first set is extremely important," said the four-time Grand Slam winner.

"When you are watching a three-out-of-five-set match, the first set sometimes doesn't mean too much."

Speaking in the build-up to this week's WTA Tour event in Indian Wells, Sharapova, one of only 10 women to have won each of the four Grand Slam titles, added: "Five-setters are extremely tough on the body.

"Men have expressed a lot of concern, especially to the matches that last five hours, in terms of recovery."

However, Britain's Andy Murray is totally against Sharapova's suggestion.

The reigning Wimbledon champion and world number six said Grand Slams need to be five sets to set them apart from other events.

"You spend more time in the gym putting your body through its paces to get ready for the Grand Slams, but they are the biggest events and should be the toughest test of a player physically and mentally," he said.

"I like that it's best of five sets. because I don't think you get fluke results."

Victoria Azarenka suggested at last year's WTA Championships in Istanbul that three-set matches would be "more interesting" and this must no longer be seen simply as a riposte to male players who believe women should play five sets to justify the equal prize money introduced at all the Grand Slams since 2007.

The demands of the modern viewer and the attritional nature of many of the men's hard-court matches mean this is no longer a purely hypothetical debate.

The International Tennis Federation told BBC Sport last year that it was actively considering reducing Davis Cup rubbers to the best of three sets in the early rounds of the competition.

Maria Sharapova says men's Grand Slam matches should echo the women's game and be played over three sets.

The Russian, 26, told BBC Sport it would not only make the men's game more appealing, but could lengthen careers.

"It would be more exciting from the beginning of the match because you know that first set is extremely important," said the four-time Grand Slam winner.

"When you are watching a three-out-of-five-set match, the first set sometimes doesn't mean too much."

Speaking in the build-up to this week's WTA Tour event in Indian Wells, Sharapova, one of only 10 women to have won each of the four Grand Slam titles, added: "Five-setters are extremely tough on the body.

"Men have expressed a lot of concern, especially to the matches that last five hours, in terms of recovery."

However, Britain's Andy Murray is totally against Sharapova's suggestion.

The reigning Wimbledon champion and world number six said Grand Slams need to be five sets to set them apart from other events.

"You spend more time in the gym putting your body through its paces to get ready for the Grand Slams, but they are the biggest events and should be the toughest test of a player physically and mentally," he said.

"I like that it's best of five sets. because I don't think you get fluke results."

Victoria Azarenka suggested at last year's WTA Championships in Istanbul that three-set matches would be "more interesting" and this must no longer be seen simply as a riposte to male players who believe women should play five sets to justify the equal prize money introduced at all the Grand Slams since 2007.

The demands of the modern viewer and the attritional nature of many of the men's hard-court matches mean this is no longer a purely hypothetical debate.

The International Tennis Federation told BBC Sport last year that it was actively considering reducing Davis Cup rubbers to the best of three sets in the early rounds of the competition.

If slams were three sets, they would be less special I think though I realise of course the women play the same number of sets in all tournaments. I can see case for reducing DC rubbers in the early rounds though.

‘You have to get confidence in your body and you have to get confidence in your game after a break like that,’ says Lendl. ‘Dani [Vallverdu, Murray’s assistant coach] told me that the match he lost in Acapulco [to Grigor Dimitrov] was the best match he played this year, so I am pretty pleased with that. ‘It's important to get full confidence in his body, full confidence in his strokes and his ability and then we worry about the rest.’

I watched his match against Pat Cash, and when he was interviewed straight after he was asked about Andy's match against Grigor. He said he hadn't seen it, and I thought that was a bit odd. I'm assuming he has, now.. but that comment above makes me wonder.

If slams were three sets, they would be less special I think though I realise of course the women play the same number of sets in all tournaments. I can see case for reducing DC rubbers in the early rounds though.

I agree. Best of 5 separates the men from the boys. To be honest I think making the slams best of 3 would devalue them. They would become almost easier to win than masters event.

I watched his match against Pat Cash, and when he was interviewed straight after he was asked about Andy's match against Grigor. He said he hadn't seen it, and I thought that was a bit odd. I'm assuming he has, now.. but that comment above makes me wonder.

Not sure we should be reading too much into these remarks? If Lendl has been concentrating on preparing for his own match I wouldn't necessarily have expected him to have seen Andy's match at Grigor at that point. He also talked about how well he and Andy are matched I seem to recall.

And as for the muzzfro I wish Andy would tell the image consultants to get lost and just be as he wants to be.

I think Sharapova is looking at the debate all wrong. Far from making the men's best of three, they should make the women play best of five in the slams. I know there is an argument that doing that would be a scheduling nightmare, but something would surely be able to be done.

I can understand why you might make the fifth set a tie-break, like at the USO. It would save players from the Isner/Mahut sort of killer matches. I don't know though. Part of me isn't keen to see that in a final. I mean, a win is a win, I know that, but would I want to see Andy lose a major final on something as dodgy as a tie-break? Not sure.

As for Andy's hair, usually I take the view that image consultants should be told to go and do one. However, in my opinion Andy's shorter hair does make him look smarter and more mature. Somehow, though it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to how he plays, which is obviously the point, it might make him look more in control of himself to the uninitiated. This is coming from someone who has long wished to take a pair of scissors to Federer's hair, which to me just looks like a ridiculous mop, especially now he's getting on a bit. The image consultant's must have missed that one.